


The Rainmaker Maketh

by OceanofNoise



Category: Tennis RPF
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-25
Updated: 2013-04-25
Packaged: 2017-12-09 12:05:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/773998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OceanofNoise/pseuds/OceanofNoise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of Novak’s and Ernie’s pranks at the tennis academy goes inexplicably wrong and they find themselves trapped outside overnight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rainmaker Maketh

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by what Nole said about his and Ernie’s “crazy experiences” back in school. I don’t know if Ernie and Nole were really roommates (despite what a tennis commentator said), but I’m just going to assume so for the sake of this story. (Also this was written and posted on LJ back in 2008 but I'm posting it here anyway!)

Ernests gripped the slick handles and pulled at the unyielding door. Novak held the chalked-filled zip bag glumly. They thought it would be funny to sneak out of their room after nights out and create some funny outlines on the clay courts for the morning practisers to see. In their youthful exuberance they had neglected to check to confirm the heavy storm forecast. Then to compound their frustrations, they were locked out.

“What are we going to do?” Ernie fumed, kicking the base of the door. His auburn curls flicked off raindrops. “If they find us out here then we’ll get demerits! I’m only two demerit points away from being the washroom cleaner for a month!” He grimaced at the prospect.

Novak, who was a little more skilful at eluding the academy staff, couldn’t help grinning. “C’mon Ernie, it can’t be as bad as you think.”

The younger boy glowered at his roommate malevolently. “Shut up Nole. At least half of my demerit points have been your fault.”

“I don’t want to spend the whole freaking night outside in the rain,” Novak argued, turning serious.

Ernests surveyed the surroundings desperately. Sleeping outside would probably be out of the question. Large puddles were already forming on the cement, and the rain was only getting heavier as the evening wore on. Scrubbing toilets all next month couldn’t be as bad as sleeping outside in the cold and rain.

“All right, fine,” Ernests relented. He banged at the door. No attention was drawn to it.

“Let’s try the windows,” suggested Novak, still cradling the bag of chalk dust.

They went around the building, tapping at each glass on the ground floor to no avail. The evening turned into night and the rain remained merciless.

“What are we going to do now?” Novak moaned, falling to his knees against the cold brick walls. He fought back hot frustrated tears. Sleeping on the hard, wet cement appealed to him less than getting caught after curfew.

Ernests ran a hand through his hair, sending more raindrops bouncing off. “I guess the only thing we can do is go to the main entrance and wait there. At least the overhang will keep us dry.”

“We’ll be caught for sure!” Novak shrieked.

“I don’t want to catch pneumonia,” warned Ernests.

Seeing no other option, the two boys made their way to the spot in question.

“I’m never going to perform another prank after today,” said Novak definitively.

“Yeah, sure,” Ernests chuckled.

Novak laughed too. The lure was just too tempting in spite of the consequences.

The main entrance was, thankfully, dry enough to accommodate them, although only one bench was left relatively free of moisture. They both took a seat, shivering and sniffling at the crisp night air.

“I guess we sleep here,” said Novak dolefully.

Ernests nodded, placing his head onto the hard armrest and closing his eyes. Novak laid down on the other side and huddled into a fetal position.

The night wore on, but the rain did not.

“Psst… Ernie? Are you awake?”

Ernests, who had been rolling his head back and forth on the armrest in a fruitless attempt to find a comfortable place of rest. “Yeah.”

Novak rubbed his bare arms in futility. “It’s too cold to sleep.”

Ernests couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for Novak. A t-shirt wasn’t enough to fight the biting wind, and he knew that Novak was prone to illness more than anyone he knew. Without thinking, he raised his sweatshirt over his shoulders and offered it to Novak.

Novak fingered the soft fabric, not accepting it instantly. “But won’t you be cold?”

“I’ll be okay,” he assured Novak, adjusting his t-shirt underneath. “You need it more than me.” He placed the garment on Novak’s lap and curled back on the armrest.

Hesitantly, Novak raised his arms and slid the sweatshirt over his body. He was instantly warmed.

A few moments later, Novak could hear Ernests shivering from his spot on the bench. “Ernie, are you okay?”

He hadn’t noticed that he was shuddering so violently and stopped for Novak’s benefit. “I’m fine Nole, really.”

Novak wasn’t convinced. “You can have your sweatshirt back.”

“No,” Ernie sat up quickly to refuse the suggestion. “You keep it, I’ll be fine.”

“You’ll be fine, yeah right. Look at you, you’re freezing.” Novak laid a warmer hand on Ernie’s cold one to prove his point. A sudden chill went through both boys, although it wasn’t only due to the cool air.

Ernie jerked his hand away, feeling like it was almost burning. Then he blushed at his sudden reaction. “It’s okay Nole, really…”

A thought suddenly sprung in Novak’s head. He moved towards Ernests and enveloped him in his arms.

“What are you doing?” Ernie shrieked, fighting Novak off.

“We can huddle for warmth,” Novak explained, trying to control the younger boy like a squirming baby.

“But this is so…” Ernests held his tongue before blurting the word ‘gay’ in the way that all schoolboys his age used it. But once he had stopped resisting, he couldn’t let himself reject the warmth of Novak’s body heat. His muscles relaxed and allowed Novak to hold him closer.

“It’s okay Ernie,” Novak whispered a little unsurely, seemingly understanding Ernests’s trepidation. 

He hadn’t thought much about bringing Ernests to him for warmth, other than for Ernests’s welfare. But once the boy had calmed and accepted Novak’s embrace, Novak couldn’t help but recognize the extra comforting heat that permeated beyond the simple fact of clutching just another person. They both laid down on the bench together and finally managed to fall asleep.

* * *

At 9AM the next sunny morning, the first group of students of Pilic’s Tennis Academy filed out of the front doors for practice. They all halted when they came upon the scene at the bench. Their eyes widened in awed fascination.

Novak stirred at the noise and opened a sleepy eye. He shot up from his sleeping position over Ernests. Ernests, suddenly cold, awoke too and followed the procedure of his roommate. They began stammering, unable to form coherent sentences.

Once of the boys pointed eagerly. “We won’t tell anyone if you’ll share some with us.”

Novak and Ernie recoiled in confusion. “What?”

Another boy picked up the bag of chalk dust. “This is cocaine, isn’t it?”


End file.
